


Different Skies

by Insomniac_with_dreams



Series: The Google Docs Dump Fanfics [10]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Beautiful Keith, Love Confessions, M/M, Pining Lance (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron) is Missing, Takes place around season three
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:27:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22666987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Insomniac_with_dreams/pseuds/Insomniac_with_dreams
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Series: The Google Docs Dump Fanfics [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1609384
Comments: 7
Kudos: 42





	Different Skies

Lance will find it funny later. Would laugh at himself later. Would laugh with others at himself later, but in the moment it felt as if the world ceased to exist. He wasn’t sure it hadn’t. He never knew with some of the planets they visited. But all he knew was that Keith Kogane was standing over him his shield raised, black hair whipping in the wind, yelling at him to get up if he could, and all he did was stare.

In all seriousness Lance had been scared out of his mind when he got knocked to the ground.He had squeezed his eyes shut and prepared for death. That's not what he found funny. No, what he found funny was in that split second when Keith appeared in front of him, Lance was hit with the all encompassing realization that he was in love with the man.

It hit him hard. Like a slap in the face. Then Keith was turning to him with a look of frenzied worry on his face, a cut on his cheek bled freely, his eyes were dark and fierce looking. His own shield flickered from the hits it had taken. He retracted it into his gauntlet and Lance vaguely realized that the battle field around them had quieted.

“Are you okay?” Keith’s voice was gravelly and deep. Lance noticed the slight tremble in his lips. He nodded not trusting himself to say anything. Keith nodded his bayard shrinking. He held a hand out to Lance who took it allowing Keith to pull him up. They were standing close now, Keith’s entire being was trembling. Lance squeezed his hand that neither of them had refused to let go. Keith bit his lip bringing his other hand up to Lance’s cheek. That one trembled as well.

They were so close Lance could feel Keith’s uneven breath against his lips. He wanted nothing more than to kiss him wipe away that worry from his eyes, the blood from his cheek, the trembling from his hands. He wanted to do it so badly, and Keith wasn’t moving their hands still clasped. Lance stepped impossible closer until their chests pressed firmer together. Keith’s breath hitched and Lance wanted this, wanted him, and Keith wasn’t pushing him away. He was pulling him closer.

They were mere inches apart, and Allura called across the field. Keith jerked a look of disappointed guilt crossing his face. He stepped back and Lance mourned the loss. Keith’s hands fell from him and Lance wanted to snatch them back. Take Keith away and tell the rest of the world to kindly shove off. He couldn’t though. Not with Keith leading Voltron.

Keith gave him another once over his fingers twitching. He turned away from Lance who winced as Keith drug a rough hand across the cut on his cheek. Allura didn’t seem to notice the atmosphere as she ran up, blue helmet tucked under her arm. It made Lance remember he had lost his and gratefully went looking for it. He listened to Allura and Keith talk, the timbre of his voice making Lance shiver, and regret wash through him. He should have kissed him hard and good immediately after getting off the ground. Next time, and there would be a next time, he wouldn’t make the same mistake.

His tailbone ached from where he hit the ground, but other then that he was unharmed. Hunk jogged over and swung an arm around his shoulders tugging him into his side,

“ You okay there?” Lance nodded ,

“ Yeah. My tailbone hurts but other than that, all good.” They walked over to where Pidge sat against Green’s paw. She had a bandage around her arm and was scowling down at her broken glasses. She looked up as they approached.

“ I thought you were getting killed by the way Keith reacted when he saw you go down.” Lance felt his face heat and prayed the other two didn’t notice. He shrugged,

“ Nah, I'm good. How bout you?” Pidge copied his shrug.

“ All good. Got sliced a little. It’s not even that deep. My glasses though.” She held them up with a look of annoyance on her face. Lance huffed a laugh and sat down heavily on her right, Hunk on her left.

The smoke was clearing from the battlefield and the inhabitants of the planet were beginning to emerge from their hiding spots. Many sighed at the shape their planet was in, and Lance agreed. I was a beautiful planet. Deep forests, even deeper lakes. It was like Olkarion in it’s sunset hues, but the comparison ended there.

The people of the planet were as beautiful as it. Maybe more. Tall regal beings with long hair kept twisted in braids. The males had large antlers climbing off their heads. Decorated in plant life and crystals. They wore little clothing exposing their skin to the elements, turning it a richer brown than Lance’s skin. They truly were beautiful, but as Lance saw them approach Keith they seemed to pale in comparison.

It was cliche and stupid, but Keith looked ethereal in every setting, even among majestic aliens. There was just something about him that had Lance’s throat tightening. The new revelation about his love was not helping matters. He watched as the leader of the small colony planet bowed deep and low to Keith. Keith stepped back looking affronted and a little alarmed. Pidge snorted beside him,

“ Wonder when Keith will start to realize that people see him as the head of Voltron.” Lance found it a little endearing. Pidge patted his thigh,

“ Help me up. Let's go see what's going on.” Lance stood himself and pulled Pidge up. Hunk groaned and pushed himself up mumbling about, no rest for the weary.

Allura was talking to the leader as they walked over. Lance positioned himself by Keith so he could better examine his cheek. The cut looked deeper then Lance had first thought. A waterfall of dried blood fell down his cheek and lance could see where it hit the white of his armor and slid into the black V. He touched his shoulder tentatively, sensing how high strung Keith still was, unable to properly come down from the battle.

As expected Keith flinched and whipped his head around. His expression softened when he saw who it was.

“ Are you okay?” Lance whispered in fear of disturbing the proceedings going on between Allura and the leader, (he should probably learn his name, but at the moment he didn’t really care.) Keith raised a hand to his cheek as if just then remembering that it was cut. He gently ran his fingers over the blood, it flaked off beneath his fingers and he pulled them away. He shrugged and grinned at Lance,

“Yeah. I’ve had worse.” Lance nodded and licked his lips, praying that his face wasn’t turning red.

“ Good. I-it looks like it would hurt.”

“ Oh it does. I’ve just felt worse pain.” And Lance didn’t know what to do with that so he nodded and turned away before Keith’s dumb little smile and eyes made him do something stupid.

Allura appeared beside them with Hunk and Pidge in tow.

“ They’ve offered to let us stay here, and want to hold a banquet in our honor.” Hunk raised his hand,

“ I personally think that we should go. For one I am starving and two, I think I’d be a good thing if we rest up.” Pidge nodded along and lance turned to Keith. He knew he was anxious to get back to the castle and do something to help them find Shiro. Keith turned to him,

“ What do you think?” Lance sputtered for an answer not expecting Keith to ask for his opinion,

“ I-I think we should stay, just for the night. It was a hard battle.” Keith nodded and turned back to Allura,

“ Okay we’re staying.”

They headed off towards the city following the aliens Lance in stunned happy silence. Pidge kept sending him weird looks but he waved her away every time she opened her ,mouth to say something. This feeling was Lance’s and Lance’s alone. 

The city was gorgeous looking straight out of a fairy tale. Waterfalls fell from cliffs and into a surging river that they had to cross a bridge to get over. Trees woven together to form open airy buildings. Leaves, statues, pavilions and fountains littered the courtyards. Pidge murmured something about Lord of the Rings that had Hunk nodding his head. Lance was too amazed to really care. He had never seen anything quite like it. Allura was gushing to the leader and he smiled politely pointing out this or that. Lance looked towards Keith who was staring up at the interwoven branches of the trees. His eyes were light, wonder was written across his face.

The banquet hall was just as splendid as everywhere else. Chairs were pulled out for them at the long table laden with food of all assortment. Trees lade up the walls and the roof was open letting in the sunset light. Hunk made an excited noise as he looked over the food. Pidge shivered and grumbled. Green was being almost obnoxiously excited over the planet they were on. Lance watched as a pretty young buck with caramel skin and creamy spots offered up a rag to Keith, before attempting to clean the wound on his face himself. Keith took the rag from him before he could touch his face, his smile strained. 

The leader stood up at the head of the table and lifted a goblet. Allura motioned for the to stand as well. They raised their own cups.

“May we raise our glasses to those who saved us this day. Let us never forget the sacrifices made this day.” He raised his goblet to the sky,

“ To Voltron.” The table returned the call raising their goblet’s. Keith’s eyes met his across the table as they drank. It couldn’t have lasted more than a few seconds, but it rocked Lance to his core. 

“ Thank you Lord Ghadir. We are always willing to help, we just want the reassurance that when the time comes, Rahhinal will stand with us.” Lord Ghadir tilted his head to her,

“Of course. You have our allegiance.”

  
  


Lance was beyond glad when the party was over and the servant led him to a room. He threw himself onto the bed after ripping off his armor. He was spent. Emotionally and physically. His head and heart were still spinning. His eyes wondered about the room. It was small but was very nice. The bed was large and circular sitting in the middle of the room. One wall was completely open, and he could step right out into the courtyard if he wanted to. These people obviously didn’t care much about privacy. He closed his eyes. Listening to the sounds of the night and soft flute like music that drifted down from a window. It was serine and quiet, the Earth kind of quiet. Where a bug that sounded nostalgically like a cricket chirped on and off, and you could hear the life around you. Not like space. Where everything was deathly quiet and cold.

Lance sat up and flung his legs over the side of his bed. Now he was homesick. He stepped out of his room onto the leaf covered marble. He had seen one of the lakes when they were walking up to the banquet hall. Lord Gharid had commented on it being the shallowest. The night was warm, not even a slightest breeze cut through the warmth. Maybe he’d go skinny dipping. Clear his mind, remind himself what actual water felt like. Not some modified Altean pool water.

It was quite a walk he didn’t mind though the stars were some of the most breathtaking he had ever seen. Clear and stark. He stepped off the marked path and began to descend the small hill to the lake. He paused behind a tree as he heard faint splashing. He cursed softly. Maybe it was just an animal he thought. That would be a reasonable explanation. He peeked around the tree and froze.

Keith stood in the middle of the lake awash with starlight. The water reflected the sky perfectly. The light of the stars bounced off of Keith’s pale skin and dark hair. Making him one with the sky. Both parts of the sky. The stars and the black bedding they lay on. His face was tilted upward and his hair falling into his eyes. Lance followed the beads of water trailing from his hair down his body eyes lingering on the nasty scar that cut across the junction between Keith’s shoulder and neck. His breath caught as he followed the smooth planes of his back and the muscle of his arms. Divots turning black in the night.

Lance stepped back behind the tree. He should not have come down here. He should have counted sheep or anything until he fell asleep. He bit his lip hard. How was he supposed to act normally around Keith now?

“ Lance?” Lance jumped and squeaked. He prayed that Keith hadn't heard him.but of course the universe doesn’t like to work that way.

“ Lance is that you, cause I’m about three seconds from throwing my knife.” Lance sighed and stepped out from behind the tree, pointedly staring over Keith’s head and not down at his toned stomach.

“ What are you doing out here?” Keith didn’t sound angry. Just genuinely curious. Lance shrugged,

“I could ask you the same thing.” Keith sighed looking down at the inky water that could’ve been a second sky,

“ I couldn't get to sleep. This place reminds me too much of home and I have a lot on my mind.” The honesty shocked Lance and he held tightly to it. Treasured it.

“ Me too.” They stared at each other before Keith began to wade towards the shore. Lance panicked,

“ Wait! Do you want me to turn around or something?” Keith quirked an eyebrow at him.

“ Why?” Lance swallowed thickly,

“ Well aren’t you, ya know.” His face was burning and felt like it was on fire as Keith started laughing.

“ Lance. Do I seem like the skinny dipping type?” Lance shrugged helplessly,” I’m not. There were swim trunks in the wardrobe of our rooms.”  
Know Lance did feel stupid. He hadn’t even thought to look.

“ Oh.” Keith laughed softly as he walked up on shore. Water side off of him, dark hair clinging to his shoulders. Sure enough he was wearing a pair of dark green swim trunks. 

He sat down on the ground and motioned for Lance to sit down next to him. Lance said a silent prayer to Saint Christopher, asking for strength to hold his tongue. He sat down, staring out at the lake that was still rippling from Keith getting out. He glanced at Keith from the corner of his eye. His eyes were turned to the heavens again, eyes darting about the stars. Lance wanted to know what he was thinking. He opened his mouth but Keith beat him to it.

“I find it funny that every planet we land on has different stars. Not two skies are the same.” Lance looked up. The stars of this planet spiraled together and the moons were connected crescents. Keith was right.

“ I don't know what I think about that. The stars were always a constant in my life. I could look up at nights my dad worked and know he was under the same sky. Looking at the same constellations. All of these different stars make me feel lost.”

It had never occurred to Lance that Keith experienced his own form of homesickness. That Keith felt just as lost as the rest of them.

“ Are you thinking about Shiro?” It was a stupid question to ask. Of course Keith was thinking about Shiro. He nodded his eyes coming back to the ground.

“I was scared when I watched you go down.” Keith’s eyes turned on him. “ I’m not ready to lose anyone else I love.”

Yes later Lance would find it funny. Would laugh about it. Would laugh with others about it, but in the moment with Keith staring so soulfully into his eyes, it was like the planet ceased to exist. He wasn’t sure it hadn’t. In the earthly quiet of that night by that lake that looked like a second sky, with whispered confessions, and goose flesh running up Keith’s bare flesh and Lance’s clothed back, Lance was hit with the all encompassing realization that Keith loved him back.


End file.
